Ministry of Defense Spies on Heroes Wounded in Battle:
Hundreds seeking compensation are filmed covertly to see if they’re lying
"Powers available include videoing suspects in secret, bugging conversations with them, scanning their telephone records and even recruiting neighbours or colleagues to act as ‘intelligence sources’."
ARTICLE BY: Matthew Hickley: Wounded soldiers seeking compensation for their injuries are being secretly filmed to check whether they are lying about their condition.
The Ministry of Defence has ordered its legal teams to make use of ‘Big Brother’ undercover spying powers originally drawn up to deal with counter-terrorism. All injured servicemen and women claiming compensation from the MoD have been sent letters via their solicitors threatening them with ‘covert surveillance’.
They are warned that their case will be ‘passed to the MoD police’ to consider prosecution if there is suspicion of fraud. Yesterday the ministry confirmed that since 2000 it had carried out such surveillance on almost 300 injured personnel who sought damages through the civil courts. The disclosure sparked astonishment.
The disclosure sparked astonishment and outrage.
Senior military commanders, MPs and campaigners said it was a ‘national disgrace’ and demanded to know why ministers had sanctioned such treatment of soldiers who risked their lives in wars, and paid a terrible price in physical and mental trauma.
Wounded soldiers voiced disgust at what they saw as intimidatory tactics designed to frighten mentally traumatised claimants into dropping their cases.
One former soldier who was left physically and mentally shattered by a mortar bomb in Basra said his warning letter had left him feeling ‘like a benefits cheat’ instead of a once-proud soldier, and that he now struggled to gather the confidence to leave his home.
Warren Ward insisted: ‘I’m not a scrounger. I did my duty as a soldier for my country.’
News that the Government is spying on war heroes to try to cut its compensation bill emerged as the MoD confirmed that another British soldier had been killed by an explosion while on foot patrol in Afghanistan – taking the UK death toll to 185.
He was named as Fiji-born Rifleman Aminiasi Toge from 2nd Battalion The Rifles.
The secret surveillance of claimants is being carried out under the controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA
Recent revelations that local councils have used the same legal powers to spy on residents for trivial matters such as littering or flouting school catchment area rules have provoked a fierce public backlash.
Powers available include videoing suspects in secret, bugging conversations with them, scanning their telephone records and even recruiting neighbours or colleagues to act as ‘intelligence sources’.
The MoD’s lawyers have sent out letters this week to solicitors acting for thousands of servicemen and women seeking compensation.
They read: ‘Following a review of procedure, we have been instructed to inform all claimants of the MoD’s policy.’
Claims are investigated thoroughly and can involve an assessment of the claimant’s physical capability undertaken covertly by surveillance when necessary and proportionate.’
The letter concludes with a threat of prosecution, stating: ‘Any cases identified by the MoD, its claims handling contractors or solicitors where there is a reasonable suspicion of fraud are now routinely passed to the MoD police.’
Lord Guthrie, the former head of the armed forces, said: ‘I find this extraordinary, but sadly it is rather typical of the attitude in the Ministry of Defence and Whitehall.’
Lord Guthrie, the former head of the armed forces (above), said: ‘I have never heard of such tactics before’
The retired Chief of the Defence Staff went on: ‘I have never heard of such tactics before, and I think it’s a terribly unfortunate thing for the MoD to decide to do.’
Solicitor Hilary Meredith, who acts for 200 clients seeking damages from the MoD, said she was astonished by the letters, adding: ‘This is a national disgrace and must be stopped with immediate effect.
‘Video surveillance is hugely expensive and for the MoD to use taxpayers’ money for this purpose is nothing short of outrageous.
‘British soldiers are risking their lives and suffering horrendous injuries around the world. Is this how they deserve to be treated when they return home?’
She added: ‘We act for people with amputations, burns, shrapnel wounds, paralysis. Some are young men who will need constant care for the rest of their lives.
‘Many have psychological problems which don’t show up on covert video footage. They are the most reluctant litigants you can imagine.
‘Instead of trying to penny-pinch and trip these people up, perhaps the MoD could spend the money on kitting them out properly and helping them?’
Diane Dernie, mother of injured paratrooper Ben Parkinson, who became the public face of a successful campaign to improve the treatment of injured veterans, said: ‘I can barely believe it.
‘We are talking about young men who are terribly maimed, or who see their friends killed and mangled and then have to clear up the remains.
‘I’ve seen these people make incredible efforts to get well again, yet the MoD is treating them as potential fraudsters – and for what?
‘To save a few quid on what must be a microscopic number of claims which are exaggerated.
‘I thought we had got the MoD to change its thinking, but it seems not.’
The MoD could not say how much it was spending on the spying operations but said 284 people had been subjected to covert surveillance in the past nine years.
A spokesman said: ‘The MoD, like the insurance industry, is at risk of fraudulent claims.
‘If, during the process of determining liability, evidence suggests that a claim has been exaggerated, surveillance may be used to verify details.
‘It is used in less than one per cent of cases and should be of no concern to individuals with a legitimate claim.’
She claimed the MoD had a legal obligation to warn all claimants that they could be spied on, but that claim was disputed by privacy campaigners.
Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, said: ‘These letters are outright intimidation.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1200478/MoD-covertly-films-hundreds-wounded-soldiers-seeking-compensation-theyre-lying.html#ixzz0LdHO5hh5
Gordon Duff posted articles on VT from 2008 to 2022. He is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. A disabled veteran, he worked on veterans and POW issues for decades.
Gordon is an accredited diplomat and is generally accepted as one of the top global intelligence specialists. He manages the world’s largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with governments challenged by security issues.
Duff has traveled extensively, is published around the world, and is a regular guest on TV and radio in more than “several” countries. He is also a trained chef, wine enthusiast, avid motorcyclist, and gunsmith specializing in historical weapons and restoration. Business experience and interests are in energy and defense technology.
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